


Failure to Fly

by hope-for-olicity (Jacq)



Series: Mary's Teacher [10]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Felicity as a Primary School Teacher, Fluff, Olicity Hiatus Fic-A-Thon, Oliver as a single dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-07 06:10:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12227289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacq/pseuds/hope-for-olicity
Summary: Oliver continues to recover in the hospital after the accident and Laurel comes to visit.





	Failure to Fly

**Author's Note:**

> This will be my entry for the Olicity Hiatus Fanfic prompt: Gravity.
> 
> No beta - so all mistakes are mine. A special thank you to @magda1102 for the amazing artwork!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They are the property of Arrow.

 

There are bad patients and then there was Oliver Queen. Oliver did not want to be in the hospital. He had been awake for 4 days, 4 hours and 23 minutes and he wanted out. And he wasn’t being quiet about it. At first, he tried the charm offensive - with nurses, doctors and his family. When that didn’t work, he just got grouchy and sookie like a child.

 

Today he had a new nurse come in and she was checking his IV bag and taking his vitals, he waited until after she finished taking his blood pressure, “so, maybe you could let them know I’m ready..”

 

“He is not going anywhere until the doctor signs off, don’t let him try to sweet talk you.” Felicity walked in the door with a smile on her face.

 

The nurse smiled and headed out past Felicity. “And how is my favourite patient doing?”

 

“I’m great, Felicity. Like really good. I suspect the doctor will be sending me home soon.”

 

“Oliver, it hasn’t even been a week since you had major surgery, you can barely walk and the meds they have you on, make it difficult for you to walk alone. Now, why you scootch over a little so I can join you in bed to snuggle.”

 

“Suddenly I don’t mind the idea of staying in bed.” Oliver smiled as Felicity crawled in bed with him.

 

Felicity laid her head on his chest and felt Oliver stroking her hair. “I love laying her like this. I was so scared, Oliver.”

 

“I know. But I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.”

 

“Listening to your heart makes me feel warm and fuzzy.”

 

“Well, who am I to stop that?” He kissed the top of her head. Nothing like a near death experience to make you appreciate the things in life.

 

“How long before Mary gets here?” Oliver whispered.

 

“Oh, I think I beat your parents and Mary by a good ten minutes today.”

 

“DADDY!!!!”

 

“Ten minutes, huh?” He turned to Mary. “Hi Mary, it’s so good to see you. How was school?”

 

“I learned so much stuff! Is Felicity sick too?” Mary looked at Felicity cuddled up on her father’s bed.

 

“No, honey, Felicity is just giving Daddy cuddles to help him feel better.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“There you are! Mary, we asked you not to run ahead of us!” Moira lightly scolded her granddaughter.

 

“But I knew where I was going and you were just too slow.” Mary pouted.

 

Oh, this girl was going to be trouble was all Felicity could think as she tried to hide her chuckle.

 

“I’m in trouble, aren’t I?” Oliver whispered in her ear.

 

“Umm hmm,” Felicity smiled. “Now that we have company, I should probably get in a chair.”

 

“But I want you to stay here,” Oliver pulled her closer to him.

 

“Maybe Mary would like to cuddle?” Felicity managed to struggle free of his arms. She really wasn’t into public displays of affection, especially in front of Oliver’s parents.

 

“I’ll snuggle, Daddy.” Felicity helped Mary up onto the bed. “When are you coming home, Daddy? I miss you lots.”

 

“I miss you lots too. I will be home the moment they allow me to leave. The doctor says I still need to stay and heal for a bit.  How is your arm?” Oliver looked down at her cast.

 

“Better. But I want the cast gone. But it’s pink.”

 

“It’s very pink. It was a good colour choice.”

 

*****

 

Moira and Robert left after giving Felicity Mary’s booster seat. Felicity promised to bring Mary home when she was leaving the hospital. They were just relaxing with Oliver when they heard the commotion outside.

 

“I want to see my daughter, I saw on the news there was an accident. WHERE IS OLIVER QUEEN?”

 

Felicity saw the look on Oliver’s face and his attempt to get up and Mary gripping her father tighter. “No, no you stay here. I’ll talk to Laurel.”

 

“Laurel,” Felicity said as she exited the room. “Why don’t you come with me to get a coffee and I can fill you in.”

 

“Where is Oliver?”

 

“He’s resting. Please come with me.” She wanted to get Laurel as far away from Mary as possible right now.

 

Laurel resisted for a moment but Felicity heard Laurel’s footsteps behind her as she led Mary’s mother to the coffee at the end of the hall. Honestly, Felicity was trying to calm herself down. She was not a violent woman but after finding out Laurel had forced Mary to lie, she was glad she didn’t know where Laurel lived.

 

The two remained silent as Felicity bought them both coffees and they took a seat in the chairs that lined the wall. “There was an accident. A _drunk driver_ hit their car and Mary broke her arm and Oliver took the brunt. He has cracked ribs and there was some internal bleeding, his left leg is also pretty beaten up. But the good news is it looks like they will both be okay.”

 

“I want to see them, now.”

 

“Laurel, I respect that you are Mary’s mother but now is not a good time to see them. Oliver doesn’t need the stress and you should know, Mary told us about the lie. How could you do that? To a little girl? To YOUR DAUGHTER?” Felicity couldn’t help it her voice started to rise.

 

“Who are you to pass judgement on MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY DAUGHTER?!”

 

“SHE is the woman that I love and a woman who loves Mary,” Oliver said before falling.

 

Watching Oliver fall and hearing the IV pole bang on the hospital floor was horrifying. “Oh Oliver!” Felicity rushed to help him. “Nurse! Can someone help me?!” She turned to look at Laurel but Laurel stood there staring. “Laurel! A hand?!”

 

“Oliver, don’t worry, we are going to get you back in bed. I can handle this.” She kissed him on the forehead.

 

“Oh, so this is how it is. Mary doesn’t need her mother anymore because she has Felicity.” Felicity could hear the hurt in Laurel’s voice.

 

“Laurel, Oliver has always made it clear that you are Mary’s mother, I’m not trying to take that away. I’m just another person who loves her. Clearly, you need help.  You think I can’t smell the alcohol on you? You are sick too.”

 

Felicity had managed to get Oliver to his feet again and was holding him up against the wall, she saw a nurse headed their way with a wheelchair. She and the nurse helped Oliver into the wheelchair. The nurse turned to bring Oliver back to his room. “Wait. Felicity will bring me back.”

 

“You need to be in bed, Mr. Queen.”

 

“In a moment. I just thought I could do it.”

 

“Around here we call accidents like the one you just had a failure to fly and usually it’s children who have them. It’s when gravity gets in the way of things.” the nurse replied cheekily.

 

“I learned my lesson,” Oliver smiled at the nurse before turning to face Laurel. “Did Felicity tell you why I’m in the hospital?”

 

Laurel turned pale.

 

“I see she did. It was a drunk driver, who is now dead. Laurel, you need help. I know, deep down inside you are a good person who loves her daughter. But making your daughter lie for you - that’s not love. Talk to your father, I know he wants to help you get the help you need. I’m not saying it will be easy, I can’t imagine, but you do have Mary to think about. Once I know, you are working on getting better, maybe then you can apologize for what you did to her. But right now, I’m heading back to my hospital room and to my little girl who is begging me to send her mother away. Please leave Laurel.”

 

Laurel seemed to realize she had no move to make, so she moved her purse further up on her shoulder and walked away.

 

*****

 

“Is Mommy gone?” Mary asked from Oliver’s bed as Felicity pushed Oliver back into his room while he pulled his IV pole.

 

“Yes, and your Daddy needs to get back in bed.” He is very tired.

 

“Can I use Daddy’s washroom?” Mary looked at the door.

 

“Sure honey,” Oliver smiled at his daughter.

 

“What were you thinking?” Felicity hissed as soon as Mary shut the washroom door. “You could have hurt yourself worst! I thought you wanted to get out of the hospital?! You scared the hell out of me!”

 

“I thought I could do it, Felicity. They let me start walking to the bathroom yesterday.”

 

“THIS was much further.” Felicity pointed at the door to Oliver’s room.

 

“I’m sorry, Felicity. I didn’t mean to scare you. But I know how mean Laurel can be when she’s drinking and you shouldn’t have to deal with her.”

 

“Oliver, keep in mind I would be using my loud voice if we didn’t have a scared little girl in the bathroom two feet away. I love you and I love Mary and I know I may be overstepping but I can’t help it. I will not allow someone to threaten the people I love. So, if that means talking to Laurel because you are in a hospital bed with your daughter - that is going to happen.” As she spoke Felicity continued to fix the bedsheets around Oliver.

 

“Felicity,” Oliver took her hand to stop it from fixing an already straightened bed. “I love you and you are not overstepping. I know we are new and everything is moving a little fast but I already think of you as family and family stick up for one another. I am so grateful to have found you.”

 

“I love you, Oliver.” She leaned forward to kiss him.

 

“Ewww. You guys are always kissing.” Mary said as she made her way over to hug Felicity.

“Thank you for sending Mommy away. I don’t want to see here now.”

 

Felicity helped Mary back up onto the bed with her father. “I think your Daddy and I agree that you don’t need to see your Mommy right now.”

 

Mary looked to her father and he nodded.

 

“Now, I think it’s time for Mary and me to head out. We have school in the morning.”

 

“I will miss you both so much!” Oliver smiled at the two beautiful ladies in his life.

 

“I miss you too, Daddy!” Mary hugged her father goodbye.

 

Felicity leaned down to hug Oliver and he whispered in her ear. “Come back.”

 

“Okay,” she whispered back.

 

*****

 

Felicity returned a short while later with some school work to work on and a change of clothes. She knew once she returned to the hospital she would not be heading home tonight. She was really glad the hospital didn’t mind her spending the night in Oliver’s bed. She didn’t know when she was going to get over the fear of almost losing him.

 

She told Oliver, that she had filled his parents in on Laurel’s visit and they would keep a special eye on Mary.

 

Felicity then set Oliver up with her tablet to watch some sporting event while she caught up on some correcting. She had been correcting for a bit when her neck started to hurt, she began to rub the ache out.

 

“You are so beautiful, Felicity Smoak. I don’t know that I’ve told you that. Beautiful inside and out.”

 

“Oliver!” She began to blush. She had never been good at accepting compliments.

 

“Why don’t you come to bed. I’ll work that kink out of your neck.”

 

“Okay, let me get changed into my comfy clothes and brush my teeth.”

 

“I’ll be waiting.”

 

*****

 

A short while later, Felicity was cuddled in his arms while they watched an episode of Doctor Who on her tablet. Oliver stroked her back and hair. “Felicity?”

 

Felicity looked up at him.

 

“You can tell me if this is too soon and I’ll wait but I don’t like sleeping without you. Do you think you, Mary and I can get a place together?”


End file.
